Yeah, I know, just what the planet needs, yet another Blog. But this one is the OFFICIAL Blog of Illustration-ist, cartoonist, humor- mongerist, greasy Stooge-Shemp Howard-enthusiast, Danny Thomas glass coffee table ponderist Drew Friedman! Happier now?

Monday, August 14, 2017

On August 28, 2017, we celebrate the 100th birthday of Jack Kirby, a towering figure in comic book history. My portrait of a contemplative Kirby first appeared on the cover (and interior) of my 2014 book Heroes of the Comics (Fantagraphics). In honor of the Kirby centenary, the work is now being issued as a limited edition (15) large, fine art print, hand-numbered, hand-titled, and signed by me.http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/jack-kirby.html

Early in his long career, Jack Kirby co-created the sensational Captain America. In the early 1950s, freelancing for DC and Atlas, he specialized in action thrillers and covers depicting horrifying monsters bent on destroying Earth. These appeared in Tales to Astonish,Amazing Adventures, and World of Fantasy. At Marvel in the early 1960s, editor Stan Lee created a new superhero series, The Fantastic Four, and enlisted Kirby to plot and illustrate their adventures. Kirby replicated this success with The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, X-Men, The Silver Surfer, Doctor Doom, and others. Kirby devised what was essentially Marvel's in-house style, designing their dynamic visual motifs and creating a template that artists have been following and stealing for decades.

Leonard Maltin discusses this very blog you're looking at!

Drew Friedman, founder. circa 1947

About Drew Friedman (not the Drew Friedman who sells designer rugs in Nantucket):

Drew Friedman is an award winning illustrator/cartoonist/figure skater. His work has appeared in Raw, Weirdo, SPY, National Lampoon, Snarf, The New York Times, MAD, The New Yorker, BLAB!, The New York Observer, The Wall Street Journal, HONK!, Rolling Stone, Field & Stream, TIME, The Village Voice, etc. His comics and illustrations have been collected in 5 anthologies, the latest, "TOO SOON?" published by Fantagraphics in 2010. His collection of portraits "Drew Friedman's Sideshow Freaks" was published by Blast books in 2011. His third volume of portraits of old Jewish comedians "Even MORE Old Jewish Comedians" was published in 2011, featuring a foreword by Roastmaster General, Jeffrey Ross. Enough is enough.